Electrode holding device



March 24, 1953 2. w. 'WHITEHOUSE 2,632,780

ELECTRODE HOLDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l r g-"4o F 4,2

a; 7 I I I Iml INVENTOR.

March 24, 1953 z. w. 'WHITEHOUSE ELECTRODE HOLDING DEVICE 2 Sl-lEETS-Sl-IEET 2 Filed Aug. 11, 1950 i 7 7 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\N ||l| IN V EN TOR. ZEBUL 0N W- WH/TEHOUSE A TTOPNE'YS Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nrncraonn HOLDING DEVICE Zebulon W. Whitehousc, Canton, Ohio, assignor to, Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, 3. c nic ie I NQW Jersey Application Augustll, 1950, Serial No. 178,809

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to holder mechanisms and is more particularly concerned with novel electric furnace electrode holder apparatus.

The holding or supporting devices presently commercially used with iron and steel-refining electric furnaces consist typically of a bracket having a portion to extend around an electrode and a wedge key to be driven lengthwise of the electrode between two portions of the bracket to wedge the bracket against the electrode. This device, while it normally serves to hold the electrode securely in place, is not easily used in making adjustments of the electrode with respect to the furnace. Furthermore, this device always presents a substantial safety hazard to operators who must make adjustments in electrode positions without interrupting furnace operations.

In accordance with the present invention, these disadvantages and shortcomings of the best electric furnace electrode holders heretofore known can be entirely eliminated in a manner which is both economical and practical from a commercial standpoint. In addition, certain novel advantages can be obtained. Foronething, by virtue of this invention, the present holder apparatus can be operated to permit electrode adjustments or to replace electrodes without small hand tools which are dificult and dangerous to use around electric furnaces. Moreover by this invention, electrodes may be clamped and held more firmly and securely than is possible with the crude hand tools used of necessity in accordance with the prior art. Still further, certain structures and elements heretofore necessary in electrode holder mechanisms, can be eliminated by this invention while their functions are retained.

Those skilled in the art will gain a further and better understanding of this invention from the detailed description set forth below, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of electrode holding apparatus embodying this invention in a preferred form, an electrode being shown held by the device in a typical operating position;

Fig. 2 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of the Fig. 1 device;

Fig. 3 is an end-elevational View of electrode holder mechanism embodying this invention in another form;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, horizontal-sectional view of the device of Fig. 3 showing an electrode in assembly therewith; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, vertical-sectional viewof the device of Fig. 3, also showing the electrode gripped by the said device.

A device of this invention, as incorporated in electrode holder apparatus including a bracket having an arcuate surface for engagement with an electrode and a helical pipe coil carried by the bracket and projecting therefrom to receive and extend around the electrode, comprises generally a wedge block secured to and carried by the coil and spaced from the said arcuate surface and having a transverse groove in its side facing said surface. Additionally, a wedge plate is provided, having a curved surface toreceive and engage a portion of the electrode and having a transverse groove in its opposite face forregistry with the block groove to define therewith an aperture extending substantially transversely of the axis of the electrode. Also; a wedge key is included in this structure and in assembly with the other elements is received inthe said aperture and engages the plate andblock,

wedging the plate against the electrode and forcing the electrode into firm engagement with the bracket.

More specifically, the apparatus of Fig.- 1 com.- prises a bracket It" having a two-part, flanged portion ll spaced from an electrodeE and clampingly attached to an arm I2 of an electric furnace: by means of a plurality of bolts disposed in aligned holes in opposed flanges of said, part l l'. Bracket if! has a web-like mid-section l6 extending downwardly from and forwardly of the flanged part H, joining said part Mintegrally to an electrode-engaging portion 18 having an arcuate surface portion l9 to receivea partof the electrode.

A helical, three-turn pipe coil 28' is carried by the bracket, being cast into portion l8 thereofjin accordance suitably with conventional practice and cooperating therewith to define anannular body in which electrodeE is disposed and through which it extends, tion 2i and an outlet end portion 22 both of which are disposed above bracketportion lafor connection (not shown) to a source of cooling; fluid and to cooling fluid disposal means (neither, of which is shown), whereby saidv fluid may. be flowed constantly through the coil to, cool the holder apparatus.

The portion of coil 20 diametrically opposite the central section of bracket portion l8 carries a wedge block 25 which has three transversely extending recesses in which portions of the straight segments of the three turns-of=the coil are in-' Coil 20 has an inlet end. por.-.

dividually received. Block 25 and the coil are welded together in this relationship, the weld metal substantially filling said recesses and enclosing the coil portions therein, as shown in Fig. 2. Block 25 is tapered from its lower to its upper end so that the inner face of said block defines a slope converging downwardly with respect to electrode E and bracket In. This slope, however, is interrupted through approximately the mid-section of the block by a relatively shallow recess running transversely of the block and parallel to the coil-receiving recesses in the outer face of block 25.

A cap piece 29 is provided on top of the block and is secured thereto for adjustment radially of electrode E, having a pair of parallel slots to receive bolts 30 screwed into the top of the block. Cap 29 has a portion 3i extending as a flange over the inclined inner face of the block to prevent relatively upward motion of a wedge plate 32 associated with the block as described above.

Wedge plate 32 is of substantially the same length as block 25, but has an inner face 33 defining an arcuate surface opposed to electrode E and bracket H] to receive and engage a portion of the electrode, as indicated in Fig. 1. To assist in gripping the electrode, plate 32 has a plurality of short ribs 34 which extend horizontally across face 33 and from edge-to-edge of the plate and transversely of the electrode. Outer surface 35 of plate 32 is shaped to define an incline mating with the inner face of block 25. Intermediately of its length the plate 32 is provided in its outer face with a transversely extending shallow recess which cooperates with the recess in the inner face block 25 to define a keyway to receive a wedge key 40 disposed transversely of the electrode.

Wedge key 40 is an elongated metal bar having an enlarged head portion and a body portion which is tapered gently from the head to the opposite end. The vertical dimension or thickness of key 40 is suitably constant throughout its length, the horizontal dimension or width of the key being varied whereby the key may function as a wedge working against block 25 to force plate 32 toward electrode E and bracket It as the key is driven into the keyway aperture. Guide lugs 42 are provided on the upper and the under sides of the head portion of the key and on the opposite end portion of the key to assist the operator in applying pneumatic hammers or the like to the key to drive it into or out of wedging position.

The device of Fig. 3, like that of Fig. 1, comprises bracket and helical coil 20 but differs from said Fig. 1 device essentially in the structure and arrangement of the wedging elements and in the wedging elements themselves. These elements include a wedge block 50 which is recessed on its outer side to receive straight segments of coil 20 welded to the block as shown in Fig. 5, and has an off-set central portion extending outside the coil to afford space for a relatively deep recess 53 in the inner face of the block extending transversely of the block through substantially its mid-section. The inner surface of the block 50, like that of block 25, is inclined and converges downwardly toward electrode E and bracket I0, and is interrupted by recess 53.

A cap piece 55 is provided on top of the block and is slotted to receive two retaining bolts 56 screwed to the top of the block, enabling adjustment of the plate axially with respect to the electrode.

A wedge plate 58 disposed between block 50 and electrode E is of substantially the same shape and size as plate 32. Thus, when block 50 and plate 58 are assembled together, the outer surface of the plate and the inner surface of the block are mated and the transverse recesses in these opposed parts cooperate to define a keyway aperture of substantially the same depth as the keyway of the Fig. 1 device but of substantially greater width due to the unusual depth of recess 53.

A plunger or filler body 60 is disposed in this keyway aperture in engagement with wedge plate 58 and fills the keyway to the extent that the free space remaining corresponds in dimensions and shape substantially to that of the Fig. 1 device.

Wedge key completes the assembly and when disposed in assembled relation, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, serves to wedge plate 58 into gripping and holding engagement with the electrode, working against block and coil 20 and through plunger 60.

Having thus described the present invention so that those skilled in the art will be able to gain a better understanding and practice the same, I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In electrode holder apparatus for use in an electric furnace including a bracket having an arcuate surface for engagement with an electrode and a helical pipe coil carried by the bracket and projecting therefrom to extend around the electrode, a wedge block secured to and carried by the coil and spaced from said arcuate surface and having a transverse groove in its side facing said arcuate surface, a wedge plate having a curved surface to engage the electrode and a transverse groove in its opposite face for registry with the block groove to define therewith a keyway extending substantially transversely of the axis of the electrode, and a wedge key to be received in said keyway and engage the plate and block and to wedge the plate against the electrode.

2. In electrode holder apparatus for use in an electric furnace including a bracket having an arcuate surface for engagement with an electrode and a helical pipe coil carried by the bracket and projecting therefrom to extend around the electrode, a wedge block secured to and carried by the coil and spaced from said arcuate surface, a wedge plate having a portion to engage the electrode, and an elongated wedge key to be received between the plate and block with the long dimension of the key at substantially right angles to a plane containing the axis of the electrode at a point spaced from the electrode to wedge the plate against the electrode.

3. In electrode holder apparatus for use in an electric furnace including a bracket having an arcuate surface for engagement with an electrode and a helical pipe coil carried by the bracket and projecting therefrom to extend around the electrode, a wedge block secured to and carried by the coil and spaced from said arcuate surface, said block having a central portion disposed outside the pipe coil and a transverse groove in said portion facing the arcuate surface, a wedge plate having a curved surface to engage the electrode and a transverse groove 4. In electrode holder apparatus for use in an electric furnace including a bracket having an arcuate surface for engagement with an electrode and a helical pipe coil carried by the bracket and projecting therefrom to extend around the electrode, a wedge block secured to and carried by the coil and spaced from said arcuate surface, said block having a central por tion disposed outside the pipe coil, a wedge plate having a portion to engage the electrode, a plunger to be disposed between the central portion of said block and the plate, an elongated wedge key to be received between the plunger and block with the long dimension of the key at substantially right angles to a plane containing the axis of the electrode at a point spaced from the electrode.

ZEBULON W. WHITEHOUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 16,054 Moore Apr. 28, 1925 1,028,150 Taylor June 4, 1912 1,363,815 Saklatwalla et a1. Dec. 28, 1920 1,414,362 Jones May 2, 1922 1,553,619 Kay Sept. 15, 1925 1,677,712 Dion July 17, 1928 2,290,030 Brooke July 14, 1942 2,303,892 Moore Dec. 1, 1942 2,337,333 Le Tourneau Dec. 21, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 608,743 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1948 

